Without a body, however, the sensation of pain was superficial and short-lived, merely an echo of what the real deal would’ve been like. We burned hot, two in one, as we recovered from the fall. We didn’t even see the size of the crater we’d made until we both came to our senses. Rising from the charred ground, we glanced around—one soul, hidden inside the fiery manifestation of Neraka’s Hermessi.
The crater was huge, about a mile in diameter, and perfectly polished and black, shaped like a salad bowl. We were at the bottom, looking up. Above, the sky was a pristine and familiar blue, with streaks of clouds that would soon be whisked away by the afternoon winds. I loved being in the sunlight, and I’d forgotten how much I’d missed it. Of course, this was only a moment. Soon enough, I would hopefully find my way back to my body and return to my life as a vampire—while secretly hoping that, once this whole Hermessi problem was out of the way, Amal and Amane would go back to studying Derek’s blood and figure out a way to make all vampires into day-walkers.
In the meantime, I settled for our current surroundings. The citadel of Stonewall rose proudly to the south, about a couple of miles away.
“Surely, they felt us crash,” Ramin said, reading my thoughts.
Behind us, there were sprawling woods that stretched for miles. We’d landed smack in the middle of the plains that separated Stonewall from the continental forest. Fortunately, we hadn’t ravaged any of the new villages that had been developed at the citadel’s base.
“It won’t be long now before someone from GASP comes by,” I replied. “We definitely made an entrance.”
I was nervous and excited at the same time. GASP had no way of fighting Ramin directly, so I doubted they’d come at us with any kind of hostility. Even if that were the case, it would all come to a sudden end once Ramin identified himself and mentioned my presence inside him. After all, we’d come here for help.
“My only hope is that your friends get here first, and not a hostile local Hermessi.” Ramin sighed. “I would assume Wei and Firr wouldn’t come for me, but I can’t say the same for the others. You know by now how quickly an allegiance can shift if Brendel has your child hostage.”
“Let’s keep a positive mindset, Ramin. I’m outside my body, and I can’t really afford to panic.”
Indeed, minutes after we landed, figures began to emerge around the crater’s edges. Hundreds of Bajangs from Stonewall. They all looked down at us, understandably fearful. Some cubs had snuck through, as well, and their mothers kept pushing them back and growling at them to keep their distance. It wasn’t safe, they said.
Their reddish manes were ruffled and raised, the sign of an impending attack. I doubted they’d charge at the fiery Hermessi before them, but I certainly understood their need to show that they weren’t afraid, that they would do anything to defend their territory. I would’ve done the same, if I were them.
“What are those?” Ramin asked.
“Bajangs. Endemic to Calliope. Somewhat similar to werewolves, in the sense that they can shift from these humanoid creatures into large and extremely dangerous predators—only felines. Also, they’re not restrained by the lunar cycle. They’re able to change at will. The Bajangs are fierce and territorial, but worthy allies to have,” I explained. “They were very helpful during the war against Azazel.”
I’d had time to tell Ramin a few things about GASP’s previous challenges during our stardust travel. He’d been brought up to speed on the Eritopian and Nerakian affair, but I’d yet to delve into our more recent Stravian war. Hopefully, I’d get to do that later, from my body, after this Hermessi problem was resolved.
Pink streaks flashed across the sky. My very soul swelled with joy, as the nine Daughters of Eritopia appeared on the western edge of the crater, joined by my brother, Phoenix. “They’re here!” I squealed. “That’s Phoenix, my brother. Viola, the Daughters… they can help us!”
They were stunned to see Ramin standing at the bottom of the crater. For a moment, I could swear they were confused as to what the next step in this encounter might be. Ramin raised his arms in a friendly gesture.
“I mean you no harm,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Who are you?” Safira asked, her tone cutting across the crater like a sharp knife through the tenderest of meats. She was understandably suspicious and defensive. Again, a necessary display of power and fearlessness before an unknown Hermessi. “You’re not Firr.”
“I’m not. I am Ramin, the Fire Hermessi of Neraka.”
Silence ensued. My brother stepped forward, his boots on the very edge. “You were with my sister! Where’s Harper?”
“Still here, with me. Inside me,” Ramin replied. “You cannot see her, and she cannot speak to you, but I am more than willing to communicate on her behalf until we find a way to get her back to her body safely.”
Before any of the Daughters could react, Phoenix slid down into the crater and rushed to greet us, his eyes wide and glimmering with hope. For a moment, they flashed gold. He was using his True Sight, probably wondering if Ramin was telling the truth.
“Why is everyone so suspicious of you? They know you helped me. We were on a mission together,” I murmured.
“Something must’ve happened,” Ramin whispered to me, then raised his voice as he pointed toward the ocean, where black smoke continued to rise in a thick, uneven, swirling rope. “What happened there, Phoenix?”
“That was Mount Agrith,” Viola said, appearing next to Phoenix. She was promptly joined by her sisters. Seconds later, Corrine, Ibrahim, and Kailani also showed up, pale and clearly astonished. Safira was quick to fill them in on who we were.
“Oh, my God!” Kale screeched. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes bulging. “Harper… You’re in there! You’re okay! Are… Wait, are you okay?!”
“She is,” Ramin replied. “She’s in spirit form, and therefore cannot speak to you directly. Rest assured, I have done all I could to keep her safe. Which is why we are here.”
“Hold on,” I said to him, “what happened to Mount Agrith?”
Ramin relayed the question to them. Rubia exhaled sharply, and the grief was visible on all their faces. “Firr, our Fire Hermessi. He turned against us. He destroyed our home and sealed off the pink waters. It was his message to Wei, our maker, and to us. He is no longer an ally.”
“I’m afraid I could see that coming,” Ramin replied. “I’m only sorry we couldn’t be here sooner to warn you that it might be a possibility. Not just with him, but with any other rebel Hermessi. I’d hoped that both Firr and Wei would still be on my side, upon my arrival. I guess only one still stands against the Ritual on Calliope.”
“For now.” Viola sighed.
We managed to bring each other up to speed on everything that had happened since I’d left my body on Neraka. Needless to say, we were still very much screwed, on a cosmic level. My heart thundered at the thought of Taeral and his crew, stranded in some unknown world, but it also swelled with joy upon learning that Varga and his team had managed to find out the name of the planet where Death had taken residence. There was only the challenge of actually locating that planet and its solar system, but, still, progress.
I found out about Reapers, as well, and I knew I would need some time to fully wrap my head around the concept. We only gave each other the Cliffs Notes for now, given the urgency of my situation, but it was enough to put everyone on the same level.
“We can’t stay here for much longer,” Ramin warned them. Kailani and Phoenix, in particular, kept staring at him—well, more like at the center of him, where I was. Maybe they thought they’d spot me somehow, even though they knew they couldn’t. Soon enough, and if I was lucky enough, I’d get to hug them and thank them for loving me so much. “If Firr is hostile, and he’s undoubtedly sensed my presence, chances are he’ll come looking for me. The word of my betrayal is out, and Brendel will want me destroyed.”
“So, we’re basically in a hurry to get Harper back to Neraka without you, huh?” Corrine asked, wearing a most skeptical face.
“If I set foot on Neraka, I’m done for. I know where the Hermessi children are kept. Brendel will stop at nothing until I am silenced,” Ramin replied.
“That’s a little futile, in my opinion, since we now know more about that twenty-planet solar system than we did before.” Ibrahim chuckled. “We’ll find it eventually, no matter how hard Brendel tries to keep it secret.”
“Okay, so how do we get my sister back to her body?” My brother asked the burning question. “If Ramin can’t get anywhere near Neraka, what options do we have? Her body won’t last much longer. I spoke to Caspian, and he’s devastated. Her temperature is dropping well below that of a healthy vampire.”
Judging by the looks on their faces, I had to admit, I wasn’t feeling all that optimistic anymore. Thunderclaps echoed in the distance. Looking up, Ramin and I understood what would soon unfold. The Hermessi are coming to Stonewall.
It was only a matter of time before monstrous entities and crippling storms would converge on this crater, wiping out everything in their path. I’d come to Calliope for a solution, despite the risks, and I didn’t want us to leave without one.
